Morning journal and courier., 1887-09-12

raise the revenue, each year Governors at tempt to get it reduced. On rare occasions, as in times of famine, the Shah is reluctant ly compelled to remit portion of it. Now the profits of a provincial Governor consist,
 first, in the amount of revenue he can wiring from the taxpayers over and above that de- manded by the Shah; secondly, in the bribes he can exact from his understrappers; then in his various perquisites in the shape of fines legally or illegally imposed, amounts re- ceived from criminals or accused persons, bribes taken from both parties in civil ac- tions, spoliations from the estates of deceased persons; and, lastly, sums of money, goods, houses or land got by simple extortion
 province and is well aware how far he go with impunity in his exactions from the provincial magnates, it is pretty plain sailing for him. But the natural jealousy of the king does not as rule permit Governor to remain for more than two or three years at the same post. Exceptions, however, are sometimes made in favor of the kings own immediate relatives. The Imad-u-Dowlet, ths kings uncle, was one of these fortunate men. At the present moment the kings el- dest son, the Zil-es-Sultan, has been for some years local Governor of southern Per- sia
 The secret of success in a provincial gov- ernorship appears to be to avoid expressing the poor, to keep the provincial magnates in constant state of active rivalry with another, and one by one to squeeze them dry. Such was the policy of the Imad-u=Dowlet. His decisions were never
 manifestly unjust in the many serious cases, civil or criminal, which came under his notice. Both parties bribed heavily as a matter of course, but i'll the end sub- stantial justice would be administered. The kings uncle was a humane man, and did not as rule take more than double | the amount of taxes due to the crown from the rayats. But it is nevertheless true that little by little the actual frees holds in the vast and fertile lands in the l entire valley of Kermanshah became the private property of the "Pillar of the State. e."
 The old Governor was very rich, and per haps little parsimonious too. Rather un- wisely he built, shortly before his death, an immense palace. Of course he had to pre- sent it to the king when his evil day arrived,
 as it did at length. Much against his grain he was compelled to proceed to Teheran to render an account of his stewardship; then decorously, but firmly, the Shah squeezed
 him and took every farthing he had in the world, as was the royal right. But the king was mereiful; he allowed his uncle to die in his bed.
 When the writer first knew the Imad-u- Dowlet he was in the plentitude of his pow- CT; his only trouble being caused by his youngest and favorite son. His eldest son, then man of ive-and-thirty, was extreme iy intelligent, his fathers coadjutor, and notorious bon-vivant. The second SOD, a man of eight-and-twenty, less satisfac- tory. Acute, intellectual and interruptions
 he was, when he had the chance, a cruel op- pressor; but, fortunately for the province, his time was principally taken up by astro~ logical studies and attempts to discover the philosophers stone. But the pride and tor ment of the old princes life was his third and favorite son. There was no abomination of which this young man had not been guil- ty, no disgraceful scandal in Kermanshah with which his name not mixed up in some way or another. From the town, from the villages, there were continual complaints; but the youth, good-looking young fellow enough, remained the favorite, till at last the old mans patience came to an end. The young prince broke into his fathers harem at night and fired at him with a pistol loaded with slugs, wounding him in the arm. The Governor said nothing of the wound or of the cause of his sons disgrace; but he put the offender in chains After forty eight hours his brothers interceded; he was set at liberty and apparently forgiven. But the long suffering father in self-defence had doomed him to death. One morning 8 mes- senger from the Governor rushed into the writer's courtyard with the request that he would hurry at once to the river palace of Imadieh, to the assistance of the Governors son, who had wounded himself accidentally.
 An hours furious riding and we arrived at the palace. The Governors Persian doctor was in state of terrible excitement. "Save him, for Gods sakei" he said, as he wrung his hands. The agitation of the hakim unfeigned. At the edge of the great orna- mental tank lay the body of the Imad-u- Dowlet's son. Life was extinct. The princes doctor begged me again to do something, though pointed out that the man was dead and cold. On inquiring the cause of death I was told that the youth had been tossing his gun in the air, that the butt struck the pavement and the weapon exploded. But found that, though death was due to gum shot wound, the affair had really been an execution; for one of the wrists was bruised by finger marks, and the gun had been dis charged when touching the mans chin AS we returned to the town numerous gentle men on the way asked for news of the young prince. On hearing that he was dead they dismounted and dabbed their hats with mud in sign of mourning. All wept and walled loudly. This was mere etiquette. But the grief of the Imad-u- Dowlet was unfeigned, and he was never the same man again after the death of his favorite but rebellious son.